S01, E06 – The Pack

First up, I appreciate this dedication to the detail that Xander is still working on trig. Astute viewers will remember that he was borrowing a trig book from the library in the pilot — continuity!

Not that he’s actually doing much better with it…

Later when Buffy and Willow have noticed that Xander is being Hyena-ish, Buffy has an idea where to turn for help:

BRB changing my business card

Giles makes a couple flippant jokes and leads to this exchange:

No, that’s my department!

I recommend [much like the mantis from last week’s post] QL737.C24 [Zoology—Chordates. Vertebrates—Mammals—Systematic divisions. By order and family, A-Z—Carnivora—Hyaenidae (Hyenas)], and the requisite folklore area:

GR730.H9 [Folklore—By subject—Nature—Animals, plants, and minerals—Animals. Animal lore—Special kinds of animals—Other mammals, A-Z] into the mix too. Do note that I made that cutter up though, I guess not enough works have been cataloged about hyenas in folklore yet!

Some good DDC spots to check will be: scientific works: 599.743 [Science–Natural history of plants and animals–Animals (Zoology)–Specific taxonomic groups of animals–Mammalia–Eutheria–Carnivora–Fissipedia–Feloidea–Hyaenidae] or folkloric works: 398.3699743 [Social sciences–Customs, etiquette & fokllore–Folklore–History and criticism of specific subjects of folklore–Real phenomena as subjects of folklore–Animals–Hyaenidae]

Okay so once everyone’s clear on what’s going with re: hyena possession, Xander gets locked in the this cage in the library.

Oh no, Hyena Xander can’t handle book return!

Let’s talk about this cage for a minute. Lots of libraries have special collections or other areas that have restricted access, but this is some intense security for a high school library!

It also has a bookdrop which is the weirdest part to me, because it’s not the exterior of the library! In order to access this bookdrop you’d already have to be in the library in the first place, which though that makes sense at the circulation desk bookdrops doesn’t make seem needed for a special collections cage.

We also have seen the front door of the library and there’s no bookdrop on there! So to sum up, the only bookdrop we’ve seen in the Sunnydale library requires the library to be open to access it and there’s not even one of those bins to catch the books. They just have to plummet 4 feet to the ground. Not great. Somebody call Demco.

Oh, also they can try to grab you through the bookdrop, so watch out for that

Anyway. Wouldn’t you know it, the other hyena-posessed students come to rescue Xander and make quick work of the cage.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t great security after all. In Sunnydale you’re going to want a library cage that can stand up to your average hyena rampage.

S01, E07 – Angel

A major episode! Season one is a little light in places, as many Seasons 1 are — but the biggest jam is finding out that Angel, mysterious and cryptic Angel, is a vampire.

Um, spoiler alert

Okay before we get there though, Buffy is attacked by a pack of vampires later identified by Giles as The Three, and with Angel’s help, fights them off. Willow wants to know how Giles always seems to know about the vampires and monsters that have proper-noun status.

He’s got a good response ready:

Hence the “i’m tired” mug

Quick point though — The Master lets Darla kill The Three for their failure which seems like a real misstep to me. Even if they didn’t succeed in killing Buffy the first time out, they might have better luck the second time? or the third? Killing them will never get Buffy for you, so way to come between yourself and your own goals, The Master.

Giles decides it’s time for weapons training [which naturally is done in the library] so we get a quick sign insert:

No one seems upset by this or gets put out by it, but throughout the episode Buffy is studying for some pretty big tests, maybe midterms? If I were one of those non-scooby Sunnydale students, I’d be pretty miffed if the library suddenly closed during midterms.

So Giles and Buffy get down to that weapon’s training and LOOK where they get the weapons from!

Wha?!

It’s fixed! When did they fix it? The banker boxes are still in there but there’s suddenly a very large weapons closet that I assume that Giles doesn’t usually keep in there. Because otherwise holding Xander [and future baddies] in there is a REAL bad move. So I wonder where he normally stores the weapons?

In a very sitcommy misunderstanding, Darla bites Joyce Summers and Buffy thinks Angel did it. The gang rushes to the hospital to comfort Buffy and see Joyce which leads to this exchange:

a QUITE reasonable question Joyce!

Remember all you school librarians out there. Even if one of your students is The Chosen One, with a Great and Important Destiny. Probably should try to act like you’re not taking too keen an interest in her personal life.